He never sleeps…

Irony and flash mobs collided in an unfortunate way two few weeks ago at the Jefferson Memorial when a small group of twenty-something libertarians decided to commemorate Jefferson’s 265th birthday. They celebrated the agrarian republic-lover by dancing silently (each equipped with their own iPhones or iPods) at his memorial at midnight on April 13.

The geekphoria was dashed when one of the faithful was told she couldn’t dance there, and then arrested for asking why not. One guy had a video camera and caught the whole process on tape–it’s troublesome, and not just because libertarians can’t dance.

In the video, no one is being disrespectful or disorderly. The monuments are open 24/7, and the libertarians planned to come out at night so as not to disrupt tourists yelling on their cell phones or rowdy school groups. As the officer leads the arrested woman out of the rotunda, the videographer asks him to “Read these walls, I mean, you’re the security guard for this memorial. Thomas Jefferson is looking down and he is very dissatisfied. This is not the America he wanted.”

Satisfying Thomas Jefferson’s whims, projected through an unflinching stone gaze, must be difficult. But while it’s troubling that the officers arrested someone for peacefully and quietly celebrating, it’ll be worse if they don’t withdraw the charges in court this Tuesday. Maybe the guard misunderstood what kinds of activities people could do at the monuments (which are technically public property), but they should be able to admit their mistake and not prosecute her further. There’s no reason why Washingtonians should be afraid to have gatherings/protests/birthday parties of any peaceful kind on monument ground when it’s well within their rights.

-Sara Carothers, Voices editor. Photo from Flickr user Subtleness.

Tackle Box, a Maine-inspired seafood restaurant, opened yesterday on M Street. The sister restaurant to Hook, a high-end seafood shrine, Tackle Box promises the same quality and fresh seafood caught by local purveyors, but with a backyard feel. Although Hook’s just next door, the two restaurants could not look more different. Instead of slick modern furniture, fine glassware, and walls adorned with art, at Tackle Box, you’ll find picnic tables, chalkboard walls, and a huge US flag from 1870. Think beach without sand in your toes.

Fortunately, the price difference between Hook and Tackle Box is just as big. At Tackle Box, go for “The Maine Meal”: it comes with a choice of 6 different seafood entrees that come fried, baked, or grilled, two sides, and one of five sauces, for only $13.

The usual suspects are all at Tackle Box—lobster, tilapia, shrimp, clams, calamari—but what I’m most looking forward to are the fried oysters and the hush puppies. Plus, all the sauces sound delicious, from cilantro lime vinaigrette, salsa verde, and roasted garlic and lemon aioli, where can you go wrong? Executive Chef Barton Seaver will no doubt bring high brow to the low brow without making students sacrifice a cash cow.

Tackle Box is located at 3245 M Street.

-Vivian Chen, Assistant Leisure Editor